Mississippi man jailed after crash kills Louisiana man

A Mississippi driver was arrested in a fatal crash on Interstate 12 in Lacombe this afternoon. Dennis Morris, 27, of New Iberia, was pronounced dead at the scene about one mile east of Louisiana 434, and William Samuel, 34, of Picayune, Miss., was arrested and booked with careless operation and negligent homicide, said Troop L spokesman Nick Manale.

Troop L police responded to the scene around 3 p.m.

Police believe that a 2012 International 18-wheeler, driven by Marlon Askew, 47, of Lithonia, Ga., slowed to a stop in the left eastbound lane of I-12 because of traffic, Manale said.

Samuel, driving a 1989 GMC pick-up truck, veered to the left to avoid hitting it, but the right front corner of his truck still hit the left rear corner of the 18-wheeler's rear trailer, which killed Morris, Manale said.

The 18-wheeler was towing two trailers and Samuel's truck was towing a utility trailer.

Askew and his passenger, Phyllis Askew, 48, received no injuries in the crash.

Officials with the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office pronounced Morris dead at the scene.

Samuel was transported to Lakeview Regional Medical Center with minor injuries. When he was released from Lakeview, he was transported to the St. Tammany Parish Jail.

While police do not believe either driver was impaired, driver distraction is suspected to have caused the crash, Manale said. Still, a toxicology exam is pending for both drivers at the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab.

Distracted driving is any non-driving activity that increases the risk of crashing, such as texting, talking on a cell phone, eating or playing with the radio, Manale said.